Name:
Period:
STUDENT WORKSHEET
Lesson 2.36 : Mapping Deep Ocean Circulation
Part 1: Möbius strip
1. Have one person in your group use the scissors to cut along the grey dashed lines on the sheets labeled MÖBIUS
STRIP (Part A) – Lesson 2: Mapping Deep Ocean Circulation and MÖBIUS STRIP (Part B) – Lesson 2: Mapping
Deep Ocean Circulation.
2. Take one strip of paper representing surface water and one strip of paper representing deep water and
upwelling water. Color both sides of your strips using the following key: surface water = RED, deep water =
BLUE, and upwelling water = PURPLE.
3. Once you have colored your strips of paper, make a single long strip of paper by placing the two ends of the
strips of paper that have Pacific Ocean printed on them next to another. Tape these two strips of paper
together.
4. Once you have your single long strip of paper, make a single half‐twist and tape the ends of the paper that have
North Atlantic printed on them together to form a loop. Starting at the North Atlantic, read though your Möbius
strip model of ocean circulation and use the model to help answer some of the questions in this worksheet.
Part 2: Mapping deep ocean circulation
1. Write your name and draw a compass rose, i.e.,
, in the upper right hand corner of the map.
2. Label the continents:
a. Africa
b. Antarctica
c. Asia
d. Australia
e. Europe
f. North America
g. South America
3. Label the oceans:
a. Atlantic Ocean
b. Arctic Ocean
c. Indian Ocean
d. Pacific Ocean
e. Southern Ocean
4. Mark the general location of your school with a star.
5. With a pencil, shade the region of deep water formation.
6. Oxygen concentrations were measured at 4000m depth at six locations around the world. Next to each asterisk
(*), record on your map the deep sea oxygen concentration for each site listed below:
Sampling Oxygen concentration
Sampling
Oxygen concentration
site
(ml/l)
site
(ml/l)
NA1
5.9
SA1
5.0
NA2
6.7
SP1
4.0
NP1
3.4
S1
4.9
7. As deep water flows, oxygen decreases because it is used up in respiration and decomposition. Based on this
information, indicate the pathway of deep water in the global ocean conveyor belt by using a blue colored pencil
to draw arrows between the sampling sites on your map.
8.
Remember that the arrows you drew on your map only illustrate deep ocean circulation. Using your surface
current reference map look at the pattern of the deep ocean currents map to those of surface currents. How do
the surface gyres line up with the ocean conveyor belt?
9. Compare surface and deep ocean circulation. Surface ocean currents are more complex than deep ocean
currents because surface currents are driven by
whereas deep ocean currents are driven
by
.
10. Add a descriptive title to the bottom of your map.
Part 3: Understanding ocean circulation
1. Oxygen content is generally higher in the deep ocean than the surface ocean. Circle one:
2. The youngest deep water is found in the
True
False
Ocean.
3. Deep ocean oxygen concentrations in the Pacific are lower than those in the Atlantic because of
a. respiration
b. age
c. decomposition
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
4. Oxygen is supplied to the ocean through
and gas exchange with the atmosphere.
5. Deep water formation is caused in part by
.
a. high salinity, moderate density, and high temperature
b. high salinity, high density, and ice formation
c. low salinity, ice formation, and low temperature
d. low glacial melt and high precipitation
e. none of the above
6. Water flows from the surface of the Atlantic Ocean to the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Circle one:
True
False
7. Which of the following is NOT required for photosynthesis?
a. Light
b. Water
c. Oxygen
d. Nutrients
e. Carbon dioxide
f. None of the above
8. Will the Atlantic Ocean be drained at the end of 1000 years? Explain why or why not.
.
MÖBIUS STRIP (Part A) Lesson : Mapping Deep Ocean Circulation
Deep water flows in
currents driven by
density differences.
Deep ocean water
ages as it moves along
the ocean floor.
deep water
Deep water flows in
currents driven by
density differences.
upwelling water
Deep ocean water
ages as it moves along
the ocean floor.
deep water
Deep water flows in
currents driven by
density differences.
upwelling water
Deep ocean water
ages as it moves along
the ocean floor.
deep water
Deep water flows in
currents driven by
density differences.
deep water
upwelling water
Deep ocean water
ages as it moves along
the ocean floor.
Deep water rises to
the surface of the
Pacific Ocean. Stop
age clock: t ≤ 1000.
upwelling water
Pacific Ocean
North Atlantic
Cold, salty water sinks to
form deep water that is
no longer in contact
with atmosphere.
Start age clock: t = 0.
Deep water rises to
the surface of the
Pacific Ocean. Stop
age clock: t ≤ 1000.
Pacific Ocean
North Atlantic
Cold, salty water sinks to
form deep water that is
no longer in contact
with atmosphere.
Start age clock: t = 0.
Deep water rises to
the surface of the
Pacific Ocean. Stop
age clock: t ≤ 1000.
Pacific Ocean
North Atlantic
Cold, salty water sinks to
form deep water that is
no longer in contact
with atmosphere.
Start age clock: t = 0.
Deep water rises to
the surface of the
Pacific Ocean. Stop
age clock: t ≤ 1000.
Pacific Ocean
North Atlantic
Cold, salty water sinks to
form deep water that is
no longer in contact
with atmosphere.
Start age clock: t = 0.
Cold, salty water sinks
in North Atlantic to
form deep water.
Start age clock: t = 0.
No photosynthesis
occurs, and there is no
contact with the
atmosphere.
Oxygen is consumed
during respiration and
decomposition.
deep water
Cold, salty water sinks
in North Atlantic to
form deep water.
Start age clock: t = 0.
No photosynthesis
occurs, and there is no
contact with the
atmosphere.
upwelling water
Oxygen is consumed
during respiration and
decomposition.
deep water
Cold, salty water sinks
in North Atlantic to
form deep water.
Start age clock: t = 0.
No photosynthesis
occurs, and there is no
contact with the
atmosphere.
No photosynthesis
occurs, and there is no
contact with the
atmosphere.
deep water
Deep ocean water rises to
the surface and is back in
contact with the
atmosphere. Stop age
clock: t ≤ 1000.
upwelling water
Oxygen is consumed
during respiration and
decomposition.
deep water
Cold, salty water sinks
in North Atlantic to
form deep water.
Start age clock: t = 0.
Deep ocean water rises to
the surface and is back in
contact with the
atmosphere. Stop age
clock: t ≤ 1000.
Deep ocean water rises to
the surface and is back in
contact with the
atmosphere. Stop age
clock: t ≤ 1000.
upwelling water
Oxygen is consumed
during respiration and
decomposition.
Deep ocean water rises to
the surface and is back in
contact with the
atmosphere. Stop age
clock: t ≤ 1000.
upwelling water
MÖBIUS STRIP (Part B) Lesson : Mapping Deep Ocean Circulation
Pacific Ocean
Surface water flows in
currents from the
Pacific to the Indian and
Atlantic Oceans.
Surface currents are
complex and driven by
global wind patterns.
Water loses heat
to the atmosphere
as it flows to the
North Atlantic.
surface water
Pacific Ocean
Surface water flows in
currents from the
Pacific to the Indian and
Atlantic Oceans.
Surface currents are
complex and driven by
global wind patterns.
Water loses heat
to the atmosphere
as it flows to the
North Atlantic.
surface water
Pacific Ocean
Surface water flows in
currents from the
Pacific to the Indian and
Atlantic Oceans.
Surface currents are
complex and driven by
global wind patterns.
Water loses heat
to the atmosphere
as it flows to the
North Atlantic.
surface water
Pacific Ocean
Surface water flows in
currents from the
Pacific to the Indian and
Atlantic Oceans.
Surface currents are
complex and driven by
global wind patterns.
surface water
Water loses heat
to the atmosphere
as it flows to the
North Atlantic.
Oxygen is produced by
phytoplankton in
surface ocean during
photosynthesis.
Oxygen concentrations are higher
at the surface than the deep ocean
due to photosynthesis and gas
exchange with the atmosphere.
North Atlantic
Oxygen and other
gases are exchanged
with the atmosphere
at the surface.
surface water
Oxygen is produced by
phytoplankton in
surface ocean during
photosynthesis.
Oxygen concentrations are higher
at the surface than the deep ocean
due to photosynthesis and gas
exchange with the atmosphere.
North Atlantic
Oxygen and other
gases are exchanged
with the atmosphere
at the surface.
surface water
Oxygen is produced by
phytoplankton in
surface ocean during
photosynthesis.
Oxygen concentrations are higher
at the surface than the deep ocean
due to photosynthesis and gas
exchange with the atmosphere.
North Atlantic
Oxygen and other
gases are exchanged
with the atmosphere
at the surface.
surface water
Oxygen is produced by
phytoplankton in
surface ocean during
photosynthesis.
surface water
Oxygen concentrations are higher
at the surface than the deep ocean
due to photosynthesis and gas
exchange with the atmosphere.
North Atlantic
Oxygen and other
gases are exchanged
with the atmosphere
at the surface.
Major World Surface Currents - Reference Map